Dinnerware place setting package



Feb. 21, 1967 R WELLS 3,305,083

DINNERWARE PLACE SETTING PACKAGE Filed May 12, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet INVENTOR.

ROBERT Al. WELLS 5V ATTORNEYS.

Feb. 21, 1967 WELLS DINNERWARE PLACE SETTING PACKAGE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 12, 1965 INVENTOR. 90559711. WELLS ATTORA/EKS.

United States Patent 3,305,083 DINNERWARE PLACE SETTING PACKAGE Robert M. Wells, Newell Heights, Newell, W. Va. 26050 Filed May 12, 1965, Ser. No. 455,083 7 Claims. (Cl. 206--47) This invention relates to packaged dinnerware, and more particularly to a package for a dinnerware place setting. t l

Dinnerware is generally packed and shipped in such a manner that in order for a store to display place settings the individual pieces must be unpacked and then assembled into groups, each consisting of a plate, a cup and saucer, and one or more other dishes such as a fruit dish, a bread and butter plate, or a salad plate. If a customer wishes to buy a single place setting, the pieces making it up must then be repacked by the store and delivered to the customer. All this handling of the ware takes time and increases the possibility of breakage.

It is among the objects of this invention to provide a package which contains a single place setting, which is attractive in appearance, which displays the ware to good advantage, which is inexpensive, which protects the ware from dirt and damage, and which can be assembled with like packages in an improved manner in a carton for shipping a plurality of place settings.

In accordance with this invention the pieces of ware com-posing a place setting are stacked on top of one another, such as by placing a saucer and at least another dish between a plate at the bottom of the stack and a cup at the top. The cup and saucer and dish are surrounded by a stiff polygonal sleeve that is open at top and bottom. The lower corners of the sleeve rest on the plate. All of these elements are enclosed in a heatshrunk plastic envelope that tightly engages the plate and the tops of the sleeve and cup to press the cup and saucer and other dish down toward the plate and to press the sleeve down onto the plate, whereby a tight package is cformed.

The preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which FIG. 1 is a plan view of my package;

FIG. 2 is a side view thereof; and

FIG. 3 is an enlarged vertical section, taken on the line III-III Of FIG. 1.

Referring to the drawings, a place setting is shown that consists of a dinner plate 1, a cup 2, a saucer 3, and another dish 4, which, in the example illustrated, is a fruit dish. Other pieces of ware could be included, if desired. These pieces are arranged in a stack. The saucer is set on top of the plate, the fruit dish on the saucer and the cup in the dish. Preferably, there are small pads 5 of paperboard or heavy paper or the like between the pieces to cushion them and prevent ceramic-to-ceramic contact.

The cup and saucer and the fruit dish between them are surrounded by a vertical sleeve 6 that has at least four sides. The sleeve is formed from any suitable stiff material, such as a strip of corrugated paperboard that has been folded and has its ends interlocked or glued together at one of the corners of the sleeve. The lower corners of the sleeve rest on the upper surface of the plate. The sleeve is small enough to engage, or substantially engage, the edge of the fruit dish 4 to prevent the dish .from moving around inside the sleeve. Generally, the saucer will have a larger diameter than the dish, in which case the lower portions of the side walls of the sleeve are provided with notches 7, into or through which circumferentially spaced marginal portions of the saucer can project. As shown in FIG. 2, these notches usually will have flat upper walls that will engage the top of the saucer where they cross it. The width of the notches should be such that their vertical side walls will substantially engage the edge of the saucer to help prevent the saucer from shifting around in the sleeve.

All of the elements mentioned thus far are enclosed in a transparent covering or envelope 9. This envelope most suitably is made from a sheet of one of the well-known plastics that undergo considerable shrinkage when heated; for example, copolymers of vinyl chloride and vinyl acetate. The place setting and the sleeve are wrapped in the plastic sheet which then is sealed around it, and the unit then is passed through an oven in order to heat it to a temperature that causes the plastic to shrink. The shrunken plastic envelope becomes taut and therefore tightly engages the plate and the tops of the sleeve and cup. The result is that the taut envelope holds the cup firmly on the dish and also presses the sleeve down onto the plate. Both the sleeve and the cup hold the saucer down tightly on the plate. There is no relative movement between the diiferent pieces of ware.

One of the features of this invention is that several place settings like the one illustrated can be stacked on top of one another in a shipping box without any plate resting upon an underlying cup, which could not be permitted. For this purpose the sleeve could have a flat top projecting above the cup, but in that event the sleeve also would space the plastic envelope from the cup so that the cup would not be pressed down onto the saucer. To overcome this problem, the upper portions of the side walls of the sleeve may be provided with recesses 11 that have downwardly curved walls which extend down below the level of the top of the cup. As a result, when the plastic envelope shrinks, the portions of it extending across the upper edges of the sleeve will be pulled down into the recesses as shown in FIG. 3 and that will pull the upper central area of the envelope down tightly against the lip of the cup to hold the cup down. The upper corners of the sleeve project above the cup to support another place setting package resting on top of the sleeve, but the sleeve spaces it from the cup.

By using a package as illustrated and described herein, individual place settings can be assembled into attractive display units at the factory and need not be taken apart until received by the ultimate customer. The packages also seal the ware against dust and dirt and help protect it from damage. Any desired information can be printed on the side walls of the sleeve because it will be clearly visible through the transparent envelope.

According to the provisions of the patent statutes, I have explained the principle of my invention and have illustrated and described what I now consider to represent its best embodiment. However, I desire to have it understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practice-d otherwise than as specifically illustrated and described.

I claim:

1. A dinnerware place setting package comprising a plate, a cup above the plate, a saucer and another dish between the plate and cup, a stiff polygonal vertical sleeve open at top and bottom and surrounding the saucer and dish and cup, the lower corners of the sleeve resting on the plate, and a heat-shrunk plastic envelope enclosing all of the above-mentioned elements and tightly engaging the plate and tops of the sleeve and cup to press the cup and saucer and other dish down toward the plate and to press the sleeve down onto the plate.

2. A dinnerware place setting package as recited in claim 1, in which the upper corners of the sleeve are positioned to support a superimposed plate spaced from the top of said cup.

3. A dinnerware place setting package comprising a plate, a saucer on the plate, a fruit dish of smaller diameter than the saucer on the saucer, a cup on the dish, a stiff polygonal vertical sleeve open at top and bottom surrounding the saucer and dish and cup substantially in engagement with the edge of the dish, the lower corners of the sleeve resting on the plate, the lower portions of the sleeve side walls having notches receiving circumferentially spaced marginal portions of the saucer, and a heatshrunk plastic envelope enclosing all of the abovementioned elements and tightly engaging the plate and tops of the sleeve and cup to press the cup down onto said dish and to press the sleeve down onto the plate.

4. A dinnerware place setting package comprising a plate, a saucer on the plate, a fruit dish of smaller diameter than the saucer on the saucer, a cup on the dish, a stiff polygonal vertical sleeve open at top and bottom surrounding the saucer and dish and cup substantially in engagement with the edge of the dish, the lower corners of the sleeve resting on the plate, the lower portions of the sleeve side walls having notches receiving circumferentially spaced marginal portions of the saucer, the upper portions of the sleeve side walls being provided with recesses extending down below the level of the top of the cup, and a heat-shrunk plastic envelope enclosing all of the above-mentioned elements and tightly engaging the plate and tops of the sleeve and cup to press the cup down onto said dish and to press the sleeve down onto the plate.

5. A dinnerware place setting package as recited in claim 4, in which the upper Walls of said notches press down against said marginal portions of the saucer.

6. A dinnerware place setting package as recited in claim 4, in which the corners of said sleeve extend above the top of the cup.

7. A dinnerware place setting package as recited in claim 4, in which said notches have vertical side walls substantially engaging the edge of the saucer.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,227,273 1/1966 "Syverson et al 20665 FOREIGN PATENTS 933,199 9/1955 Germany. 972,788 10/ 1964 Great Britain.

THERON E. CONDON, Primary Examiner.

MARTHA L. RICE, Examiner. 

1. A DINNERWARE PLACE SETTING PACKAGE COMPRISING A PLATE, A CUP ABOVE THE PLATE, A SAUCER AND ANOTHER DISH BETWEEN THE PLATE AND CUP, A STIFF POLYGONAL VERTICAL SLEEVE OPEN AT TOP AND BOTTOM AND SURROUNDING THE SAUCER AND DISH AND CUP, THE LOWER CORNERS OF THE SLEEVE RESTING ON THE PLATE, AND A HEAT-SHRUNK PLASTIC ENVELOPE ENCLOSING ALL OF THE ABOVE-MENTIONED ELEMENTS AND TIGHTLY ENGAGING THE 